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Alabama guard Mark Sears declares for 2023 NBA Draft

Screenshot 2023-07-18 at 4.54.37 PMby:Riley Gates•04/08/23•

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Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Alabama guard Mark Sears has entered the 2023 NBA Draft, he announced on his Instagram page. Sears just completed his first year at Alabama after transferring in from Ohio. Sears said he will maintain his college eligibility.

Sears initially committed to Ohio coming out of Hargrave Military Academy High School in Muscle Shoals, Ala. After a freshman season where he averaged just 8.5 points per game, Sears exploded as a sophomore. Sears put up 19.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game as a sophomore with the Bobcats. That then led to his transfer to Alabama where he made an even bigger name for himself.

In this past season with the Crimson Tide, Sears averaged 12.5 points per game on 40.6% shooting from the floor, while also grabbing 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Sears put up 16 points and 10 rebounds in the Sweet 16 loss to San Diego State but struggled from beyond the arc. There, Sears was a woeful 0-for-5 from the floor, despite being a 34.5% shooter from three-point territory this season.

More on the 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft is set to take place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. Round 1 of the draft will be announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, while Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum is expected to handle the second round of picks.

To be eligible for the NBA Draft, players must be at least 19 years in age during the calendar year that the draft is held and at least one NBA season from their high school graduation date, or the date that would have been if they are not graduated. It is not required that player spend that one year playing college basketball, though. Players can play in either college, abroad, or the G League Ignite if they choose so.

While this is a significant change from what the rules once were, players are eligible to enter their names into the NBA Draft pool and explore their options by hiring an agent to go through the process, while still keeping their college eligibility. The deadline to make that move is on April 23 beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET. Players have until June 12 at 5 p.m. ET to withdraw their name from the pool and return to college.

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held on May 16, which is also the start of the NBA Conference Finals.